Tourist places in Agra: The bunch of lesser known

Agra is famous for its quintessential portrayal of true love in the form of a world renowned monument “The Taj Mahal”, however, there are much more additions than the single monument to the tourist places in Agra.

First things first: Reaching Agra

Agra is easily accessible through all the three basic modes of transportation namely Air, Rail and Road. As it is a famous tourist spot hence conveyance inside the city is never a problem.

As you proceed through this post, get ready to get a peep through to how you can cherish the most out of your next trip to Agra.

The Baby Taj: “Jewel box” of tourist places in Agra

Baby Taj or Itimad-ud-Daulah

Basically the tomb Mirza Ghyas Beg, made by Queen NoorJahan in remembrance of her father is a timeless marvel. The first Mughal structure carved out of marble making use of Pietra dura technique of cutting and fitting polished colored stones, is definitely not as magnificent as the Taj but has the finest carvings which contribute to its delicate look, making it one of the most sophisticated tourist places in Agra. It consists of a main building and a number of subsidiary buildings and lawns. The basic structure is of red sandstone with decorations of marble stone brought in from Rajasthan. Other embellishments of semi-precious stones include jasper, cornelian, onyx, topaz and lapis lazuli. The fine carved marble forms an intricate mesh which lets fresh fresh air inside the mausoleum.Not only Queen NoorJahan’s father and mother but also a lot of relatives are buried here. Another feather in the cap of this monument is the fact that the inner structure of Taj Mahal was inspired by its structure.

Reaching Jewel Box:

The Tomb is situated along a wide-paved road when going from Agra Fort to Ram Bagh via Ambedkar Bridge on the Yamuna River. It is about 6kms from Taj Mahal. From near The Taj Mahal, you can first take a shared auto-rickshaw from Taj Ganj Bijali Ghar and then from Bijali Ghar, catch another auto-rickshaw to the tomb.

Soami Bagh Samadhi: A mausoleum of Huzur

Soami Bagh Samadhi: A mausoleum of Huzur

One of the most attractive tourist places in Agra, Soami Bagh Samadhi is the mausoleum of the initiator of the Radhasoami Faith. With the carvings of colored marble stone its construction started in 1908 and is still continuing. Located in Dayalbagh on the outskirts of the city Agra, Soami Bagh Samadhi is an extraordinary monument to visit in. The place now a mausoleum used to be spiritual abode of Soamiji Maharaja; however, there is a Bhajan ghar beside it, which houses satsangs and bhajans. It serves as the headquarters to the Radhasoami religious sect hence devotees are a regular at this place. Interestingly the beauty of the landscape and the monument attracts tourists of other genres also.

Reaching the Samadhi:

Soami Bagh Samadhi in Agra is one of the frequently approached tourist places in Agra, both by devotes and art admirers, hence its proper connectivity by road is a mandate. It is 15kms from Agra and local taxis are easily available at a reasonable rate to reach there.

Chinni Ka Rauza: One more mausoleum gem of the bag of tourist places in Agra

The Prime Minister of Mughal emperor Shah Jahah, Mulla Shukrullah Shirazi was also a famous poet. His artistic instinct guided him to design his own mausoleum in 1639, which he designed and built with splendor decorations and ornamentation. He adorned his prospect tomb with glazed tiles and the outcome was more than a masterpiece in the name of Chinni Ka Rauza. The name itself is indicative of it bright colored decorations which embellish the monument equipping in with an aura like no other tourist places in Agra. The monument also showcases architectural style of using earthen pots to reduce weight that was followed in Rome and Egypt in those days. Its sultanate style non-proportional dome is an example of the extremely remarkable, unusually exotic architectural style in which it is built. However, with passing time this monument has shed off a portion of its beauty which is nothing but a loss in the heritage of tourist places in Agra.

Chinni Ka Rauza: One more mausoleum gem of the bag of tourist places in Agra

Reaching the Mausoleum:

Chinni Ka Rauza can be reached from other tourist places in Agra like the Itmad-Ud-Daulah Tomb from which it is at a mere distance of 1km on the eastern bank of Yamuna river, hence easily reachable through local conveyance of rickshaw

Taj mahotsav: Celebration of Heritage

A celebration which makes the tourist places in Agra more ethereal than ever. The festivities of Agra in spring time are like never before; February boasts of the rich celebration and exhibition of rich heritage of Uttar Pradesh in Agra. The U.P. tourism organizes a non-stop celebration of the vivid and colorful culture, cuisine, arts, music, dance and handicrafts of the state for a stretch of 10 days. All these are blended in a form of a carnival which gives insights of the era of magnificent Mughal splendor. All kinds of folk artist, craftsmen participate in the carnival adorned with charm of decorated elephants and camels.

Taj mahotsav: Celebration of Heritage

When to visit:

This spring season celebrate mostly concludes in between 18th to 27th of February. Planning a visit to Agra in this season will give you memories for a lifetime

Urs celebration at Fatehpur Sikri: Connection with the Almighty

Not more than 40kms from Agra lay the city of tourist places in Agra – Fatehpur Sikri. Urs is celebration in the city which turns it in to abode of the almighty. The Arabic word ‘Uroos’ in English means ‘ultimate meeting with God’. Fatehpur Sikri celebrates the festival of Urs just before the month of Ramzan. This annual event is a six days celebration charmed with devotion and various rituals. The Urs fair opens with the beating of large drums at city. The most remarkable thing during this celebration is the soulful music played here, which carries the flavor of music of different eras. Qawaalis and dhikr are the main attractions here and a unique form of singing Badhaawa in which music is given by only using claps comes as an icing over the cake. Apart from these Urs provides an atmosphere of eternal solace and mysticism, where devotees can find peace in all the rituals held there, whether be it the ‘Chadars’ of the mazaar, the colours of procession or the rush for the pious kheer.

Urs celebration at Fatehpur Sikri: Connection with the Almighty

Reaching Fatehpur Sikri:

Fatehpur Sikri is a not to miss opportunity when on visit in Agra for the tourist places in Agra and visiting it in the season of Urs make the visit even more memorable. The City could be easily reached by a taxi hired for a day trip.

Above all the tourist places in Agra is the attraction of the holy river Yamuna which flows through the heart of the city and it was her beauty which caught the eye of various Mughal who then built the exotic architectures on her bank.

Additional Notes: An evening spent at the Mehtab garden again situated at the bank of river Yamuna gives the most ornamented view of the Taj.